


Operation Date

by dorkpatroller



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates, Pokemon
Genre: Commission fic, First Date, M/M, Modern AU, Pokemon AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-03
Updated: 2018-10-03
Packaged: 2019-07-24 19:47:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16181945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dorkpatroller/pseuds/dorkpatroller
Summary: Niles finally asked Leo out on a date, and his pokemon just want to make sure everything goes smoothly.





	Operation Date

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Rainripple](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rainripple/gifts).



> This is part of Rainripple's pokemon au! It was a commission that takes place a little while after their fic, which details how Leo and Niles meet. Please check that out, especially if you enjoy this one.

It’s still mid-morning when Niles collapses back onto his bed with a dramatic sigh. He sprawls out to get comfy, but this bed is nothing too spectacular. It’s a single-sized bed with a kind-of-worn box spring under it. It’s on the upper floor a little house tucked away in the sanctuary and it’s home. Of course, Niles nearly launches Weavile into the air when he flops down onto it, and so Weavile lifts his head from where he’s curled up enjoying his first daily nap. He eyeballs Niles curiously. 

 

What’s got him acting so dramatic. Is he upset? Happy? Tired? Niles turns his head to look at him, but when their eyes meet he’s got this glazed, dreamy look in his eye… it’s the most outlandish thing Weavile has ever seen. He uses the flat side of his paw to cautiously pat Niles’s face… and Niles’s smile cracks across his face.

 

“What?” Niles asks. Weavile dips his head to one side. Niles reaches out and ruffles the red crown of feathers on his head, but Weavile snorts and pulls back away. What is  _ wrong _ with him? Why does he look so… absent? “I can’t help you if you’re having a bad morning, bud. I’m having a great morning.”

 

Well, at least he's happy _. Why _ ? 

 

Niles stares at Weavile a moment longer before a chuckle creeps into his voice. “Do you want to know? Alright, I’ll tell you,” Niles says. He rolls onto his back and stares up at the ceiling. “I asked him out on a date. He said yes.” 

 

_ Oh. _ That makes more sense. Niles has been head over heels for this Leo guy since the day he walked right into his trap. It was like he was caught in a spider’s web, and Niles never had a chance of getting away from him. Leo is smart. He saw right through Niles’s plans, goals, and even disguise. The  _ good _ news is that he and Leo are working together now to make plans and move forward with overthrowing the king. Leo is smart, he’s talented, and he’s got the inside scoop. The  _ bad _ news is Niles was wooed before he even knew it, and he isn’t good at dating people. For as long as Weavile has known him, it’s really just been Niles and pokemon. He’s  _ great _ with pokemon! Even though they don’t speak the same language, it’s like he understands what they’re really trying to say. Even when they’re not as obvious about it.

 

Weavile can’t let this happen, not in good conscience. There’s just no way he can successfully take Leo out on a date. Leo isn’t a pokemon, and Niles rarely goes out with  _ people _ . What if he just messes it up and has his heart broken or something? Or worse! What if his date fails and it ruins the plans they’ve made? What happens when you have a bad date with a  _ prince _ ? Human laws are prices and stupid, after all. They’ve spent years working to get where they are today. They can’t give that all up now.

 

Weavile flinches when Niles rubs his feather crown again. “I can tell you’re excited,” Niles says sarcastically. “Don’t worry, this won’t interrupt your routines. I’m taking him out for dinner first, to that café that has the biscuits you like. Then afterward I want to take him to the park on the south side of town. I've got a feeling he'll like it." 

 

Weavile thinks a park sounds fun, and that café is great, but he’s not sure if Leo is the sort to like them. He seems more the type to want to see a play or have a fancy dinner or go to a library. You know…  just a little prissy. In an endearing way. He’s rich and brought up well, they tend to be higher maintenance. 

 

Niles sits up on the bed and not a whole breath later he looks concerned. “Are you okay in there? You look constipated.”

 

_ Do not. _

 

"Alright. Well, I'm going to get some work done around here before tonight." 

 

Niles leaves and Weavile curls back up on the bed, but his nap is ruined. It’s ruined even further when there’s a rustle of feathers and then Honchcrow comes crashing through the window.  _ “Date!”  _ She shouts in human-talk.

 

“I know,” Weavile says. Reluctantly, he sits up. He casts a wary glance towards the door that Niles walked through moments ago, and he thinks about the consequences of this date again. Niles really likes Leo. “He’ll be upset if this date doesn’t go well.” 

 

Honchcrow watches him with one of her eyes, carefully tilting her head this way or that so she can follow all of his movement. Abruptly she stops watching him to bend over and groom some of her feathers, but a moment later she’s watching again as if it never happened. She’s waiting for an idea, an order, a plan. She wants to know what they’re going to  _ do about it.  _

 

“You’re right,” Weavile says as he stands up and thrusts his paw in the air triumphantly. "We've got to make sure everything is perfect! Come on--we've got to make a plan. Round everyone up." In a matter of minutes, Honchcrow has assembled the perfect team of pokemon for this job. Pokemon who know Niles better than anyone else in this world.  _ Niles’s  _ team. No one else is better at following plans and executing missions. They work together in sync to pull off even the grandest of heists. This will be no different!

 

It’s not that Niles is incapable or anything. Weavile knows that—He has  _ talked _ to other humans before. It’s just that he’s spent every waking, living,  _ breathing _ moment working so that this sanctuary can function. He’s poured his heart and soul and every hint of free time into it. He’s stolen, earned, and fought for this place. Just for the pokemon! He deserves to get what he wants, too. He deserves it more than most of the people out there, living their lives totally ignorant to how others might be suffering. Niles’s pokemon may have an honest dislike for most people, but that doesn’t mean they dislike  _ him _ .

 

The day turns over into the afternoon, and then evening, and they've formulated their plan. Maybe he's crazy for trying to win over the man they're currently partnered with and working for, but they've got to do their best to support him. The day they met Niles obviously respected Leo. Who can blame him for wanting a mate he can see strength and potential in? It's only natural. 

 

The way that humans date and court each other is highly irregular. They meet up and share meals and they get to know each other a little bit at a time. Pokemon also have their own various rituals for choosing mates, but Weavile thinks it should be more straightforward than that. They should just get everything out in the open up front. 

 

Niles didn’t really ask his opinion, and Weavile knows they won’t be able to choose what they do or say on this date. They’ll just have to work hard to ensure nothing is out of place. That’s why they’ve followed him to the café in the first place. 

 

Niles is seated at a little iron table outside the café. By now their plates are empty, they’ve already had dinner. They’re just talking, which Weavile knows is the most important part of a human date. There’s a red umbrella over the table, a few windowsills of flowers around them, and some other cute potted plants. A couple of Floettes are dancing around and tending to the blossoms in the area. The waitress who works for the café is dressed in polka dots and a fluffy white apron, and she wanders around the terrace tables with a tray to clean up unwanted plates. Her partner, a Furret, bounds around behind her, threatening to wind between her ankles and trip her. 

 

Leo is with him, of course. He’s seated across from him at the table. Niles has his elbow propped on the table and he’s playing with the straw in his drink, but his attention is totally, desperately on Leo. He’s dripping with puppy love. The poor, distracted thing…That must be why he hasn’t noticed that Leo’s drink is getting low. It’s alright—they’re going to take care of that for him. It’s all part of the plan.

 

Leo is drumming his fingertips gently along the tabletop and he’s got his cheek positioned in his hand, but he looks anything but bored. His full attention is settled on Niles while they just have a conversation. “You used to work here?” 

 

“I still do, sometimes,” Niles says. His lips slide up into a sideways grin. “You’ll be hard-pressed to find a place in this town I  _ haven’t _ worked for one time or another. It takes a few side-jobs to run a Pokemon Sanctuary, after all.” It especially takes a couple of side-jobs to cover up the fact that Niles is broke and recycling the riches of others to fund their cause. “But I liked this one. It was where I met one of my pokemon--and I like the way they treat them here, too. A lot of restaurants in town are getting real stuck-up about letting pokemon out of their pokeballs.” 

 

“Which seems to be a big priority for you. But you know, there’s nothing wrong with pokeballs. Don’t you? There’s nothing wrong with keeping your pokemon in there  _ sometimes _ . It allows you to keep better track of them, to make sure they’re safe, to call on them when you need their help right away… among other things.” 

 

“Mm… this is because of the time Honchcrow flew into your window and broke it,” Niles says. His lips twitch but he hides his smile well.

 

“No,” Leo says, “This isn’t because of that.” 

 

“Then it’s because Froslass keeps freezing your drinks.”

 

“No,” Leo hesitates, but he looks at his glass. It’s the same as it was before, a glass of water, but he doesn’t remember it being quite so full. He shakes his head and refocuses his attention on Niles. “It’s not about that either.” 

 

“They like you deep down, you know,” Niles coos. “They just have creative ways of showing it. And, well, they’re not strictly fond of the upper class.” 

 

“It’s not about how your pokemon choose to torment me,” Leo says. Weavile thinks torment is a strong word! After all, they’re over here doing their best to make this date perfect. Banette is doing his part right now. He’s blended himself into the shadows so well that none of the local pokemon even seem to notice him. Once Leo sets his glass of water down again, he quickly refills it… and then he slips off to face the flowers. It’s like Leo didn’t even take a drink.

 

Leo glances at his glass of water again and then he squints at it. Niles squints too… but he doesn’t say anything. “It’s just that pokemon are comfortable there. It’s a matter of preference whether you let them stay in or out, but it doesn’t hurt them. Not  _ every _ pokemon needs to be out of their ball at all times.” 

 

A breath later Leo turns his head and there are a few plucked tulips sitting on the table to his left. He stares at them, flaps his lips, and then Niles starts looking around. He bends over and lifts the white tablecloth to peek under the table… but he finds nothing. Leo turns around and pours part of his water into the flowerbed. He’s setting a trap, and Weavile knows Banette is going to walk right into it. Leo sets the half-empty cup back on the table. 

 

“Right,” Niles says, clearly distracted. Leo is distracted too, their entire conversation has derailed. Weavile starts to pace from his hiding spot. This isn’t going well--Banette isn’t being sneaky enough! If he gets caught it’s going to ruin the atmosphere of the date. 

 

Weavile doesn’t get a chance to intervene, unfortunately. Banette refills Leo’s glass again and this time Leo is staring right at it, watching this invisible force refill the glass. His lips draw into a tight line… and then a Floette shrieks in rage.

 

“Ah,” Niles says, glancing at the plucked tulips laying on the table. “She must have noticed.” 

 

“Your pokemon are..?” Leo whispers half a question. Weavile doesn’t hear what he says, just that he’s whispering to Niles. 

 

“Yes, I think that’s the likely case. Shall we?” Niles leaves their cash on the table and the both of them slip as fast as they can away from the angry Floette. They say those things are pretty strict about the flowerbeds they tend to. Weavile wouldn’t be surprised if they tried to curse them for picking the flowers. Well, but the good news is it wasn’t actually them. It was Banette.

 

Banette rushes back to Weavile and huffs. “This is impossible,” he says. “How am I supposed to make a romantic atmosphere when there are all of these other pokemon around?”

 

“I don’t think you needed to fill the cup up quite that often,” Weavile says back. “But that’s okay, we can still save this.” 

 

“Leo isn’t  _ that _ special,” Banette says, bouncing into the shadows cast by Weavile’s feet. “He’s fun to pick on, but maybe Niles can find a better mate. We can help him find a new one. One that isn’t so important for our plans.” 

 

“Niles wants  _ this mate _ ,” Weavile says. “And he deserves to get what he wants. Come on--we need to catch up with them so we can make sure the rest of this goes according to plan.”  

 

Weavile catches up to Leo and Niles a few blocks away, at the city park. They’re walking… and while they do Niles casually bumps their arms together. Leo looks down between them at their hands… and then back up at Niles. His cheeks turn just a touch pink… but he reaches out and clasps their hands together. 

 

“You met one of your pokemon at that café?” Leo asks. Niles nods his head. 

 

“Well, behind it. Banette was wandering around in the alley by their dumpster. He was small—I think he was still a baby. He didn’t want to come with me, that’s for sure.” 

 

“Maybe that’s why he plays such a doting waiter,” Leo says. It takes Weavile a moment to realize that’s supposed to be a joke. Oh—he must have realized that Banette was the one behind the drink refills. Hopefully they don’t know that they followed them here, too.

 

If the way they swing their hands gently between them while they walk is anything to go by, it looks like that’s going well. Well enough at least, but they’re not kissing and that’s what human people do when they’re in love. This date can clearly still be improved. “You want me to sneak over there again?” Banette asks. Weavile shakes his head no. 

 

“Let the girls do their part.” 

 

Niles seems to be doing okay on his own, but this time they might just need a little help setting the right mood. The good news is they have the right pokemon on the job for this. Froslass is a professional at cooling the air. She lowers the temperature around them so that dew glistens off of the grass and plants and leaves. It makes for a good opportunity to stay close to each other, too. Honchcrow is helping too, she rounded up some pokemon to work some mood-magic. It’s going to be much more discreet, which is good because Weavile doesn’t need Niles catching on to all of this. 

 

The mood is calm and romantic. A few Hoppips are floating along the breeze. Illumise has arrived and is creating a sweet scent to fill the air. She's only just begun but the local Volbeats are already on their way, ready to follow her lead. While the sun starts to go down they begin lighting up the sky with their choreography. Downwind a pair of Kricketunes play a soft duet to accompany the pink hues filling the sky. 

 

Leo looks around them, no doubt spotting the subtle changes… but there’s no way he’ll know the cause this time. He glances down at their hands again, and then at Niles.  “So… you brought me to a park.” 

 

“I did,” Niles says. “I thought you might like to stretch your legs after dinner. Oh--and I know you like plants.” 

 

“Of course,” Leo says with just a gentle hint of sarcasm in his voice. “Liking plants means I should love to visit a park and hike through a field of bug pokemon. I’m very one-dimensional like that.” But he’s got a smile crossing over the seam of his lips, one that even Weavile is a little weak over. That’s a good one—Niles saying all the right things. “What even tipped you off that I enjoy plants?” 

 

“You had some dirty gardening gloves in your stuff when I snuck in,” Niles answers simple enough. “You keep a lot of plants--you’ve got a whole garden.” 

 

“Yes, well, there’s a great deal of power in something as simple as a seed,” Leo says. He rubs his thumb over Niles’s. “Some things can turn out to be extraordinary if we just take the time to nurture them.” 

 

“Yeah,” Niles says as they come to a stop near the pond. His eyes linger on Leo's, and he pulls him closer by his hand until they’re sharing the same air. It’s to fight off the chill—their breath is visible in gentle puffs when they breathe. The natural music the bug pokemon of the park makes for a gentle ambiance. Niles watches the fading light play along Leo’s hair, bounce off his face, and he turns to properly face him.

 

Weavile thinks this is perfect. Froslass outdid herself, and Honchcrow did an amazing job of rounding up the perfect pokemon for the job. It would be wildly romantic for Niles to ask Leo to dance at that moment. They could share a waltz the sound of nature, and with tall trees and wildflowers swaying around them. Lit up by the blossoming starlight and the glowing bodies of the Volbeats and Illumise… nothing could be more dreamy.  _ Instead _ the music, the scene, the mood… it all comes crashing to an end when a sharp voice squawks, “ _ KISS _ .”

 

Leo pulls his hand away from Niles and turns to look up into the tree the sound came from. Weavile also turns his attention to the tree… and then he drags his claws down his own face in frustration. It’s Honchcrow. “Hey!” Weavile shouts. Her job was to make sure there was mood music, not to draw attention to himself!

 

Niles sways on his feet and pushes his hand through his hair. “What are you doing up there, girl?” He calls out too. Honchcrow seems  _ far _ more interested in him than being scolded by Weavile because she flutters down in a mess of feathers to sit in front of her trainer. 

 

_ “LALALA KISS.”  _

 

“I think she wants us to kiss,” Leo mutters with absolutely no emotion to his voice. He folds his arms across his chest. “Is she  _ singing _ ?” 

 

Weavile would be hard-pressed to call that singing. She can mock some of the human words. It’s really handy--Weavile can’t do that. None of them can but her. It’s just that when she  _ does _ mock the human words it comes out choppy, and like a violin string is snapping across a chalkboard. And she ruined everything!

 

Niles starts laughing, and Weavile runs out and starts to bring his claws down to silence the offending bird-type. Just as a disaster is about to strike poor Honchcrow, however, Weavile's claws crash into white instead. Absol bares his teeth and growls ominously at Weavile. "Back off." 

 

"But she's--" 

 

“ _ Woah, _ ” Niles says. All of them turn to look at Niles… who bends down to look at the scratch on Absol’s side. “What’s up, guys?” 

 

Weavile deflates. The entire mood is ruined. The date is ruined. They’re not going to dance to the music and lights that nature provides--Leo is going to reject Niles and it will ultimately be their fault. It’s the opposite of what they wanted! 

 

“I’ve got an herbal remedy somewhere,” Leo says, beginning to dig through his laptop bag. Or maybe he uses it for his pokemon, but it seems silly of him to have an entire bag dedicated to that when he’s not traveling. He passes it to Niles who looks it over once before applying it to the open wound. 

 

Absol doesn’t react. “Go back home, guys,” Niles says to them. “All of us—it’s been a long day.”

 

Weavile hangs his head in shame while the mismatched group they make begins to head back to the sanctuary. Honchcrow flies up overhead, occasionally squawking out words that make no sense and have no context. Absol doesn’t speak at all… he’s probably mad at Weavile for losing his cool. It’s just silence between the pokemon, but Leo and Niles are chatting quietly behind them.

 

Niles has his eye trained on his pokemon while they walk like he's personally escorting them to be grounded to the sanctuary. He's got his hands tucked into his back pocket and he sighs. "Sorry. I think they were probably trying to help." 

 

“It certainly seems like it.” Leo notices Banette and Froslass wander over to join the group of misfits who are being taken back home. It’s almost amusing what extremes Niles’s pokemon were willing to go to over this date. What’s confusing is simply why they thought it was necessary. “Are you historically unsuccessful with your dates?” 

 

“I historically don’t go on dates,” Niles admits. Weavile shrinks a little more. He hates to hear him be so honest about something that clearly went so poorly. 

 

Leo bumps into Niles with his shoulder. “You’ve dedicated a lot of your time and energy to this sanctuary, and to your mission. It’s not surprising that you don’t always have time to take for yourself.” 

 

“I like to think it’s a little surprising,” Niles teases. Leo rolls his eyes. Niles bumps into his shoulder in return. “They did their best.” 

 

"I think it says a lot about your character that they wanted to help you succeed. Clearly, they care--they want to return the favor you've done for them." Leo's right about that. Weavile just wants Niles to get a chance to relax and be happy now and then. Is that so much to ask? But they ruined everything. "Would it… be out of the question if I stay a little while?"

 

Weavile makes a startled noise. Honchcrow squawks above them. Niles snorts. “I’d like a chance to make this all up to you.” 

 

“I don’t think you can make this up in one day,” Leo says cool and calm. “We’ll have to arrange for another.” 

 

He’s quiet while they pass through the gates of the sanctuary, and once they arrive Froslass, Banette, and Absol run off, free from their duties. Honchcrow flaps up into a tree, and Weavile… stares at Niles. Niles looks at him expectantly… and so he wanders off too.

 

But not far. Just to where he can hide in the shadows and watch what unfolds next. It’s simple enough. Niles pulls Leo inside the shelter he calls his home and they settle on the sofa in front of the television. They turn on a movie, and while Leo is fiddling with the remote that controls it Niles makes them popcorn. It’s a bland ending to a bad day. Or, that is, it seems to be.

 

Weavile was certain this date was ruined, but… Niles puts his arm around Leo, over the back of the couch, and after turning to examine that it actually happened Leo laughs and scoots closer to Niles. Is this going well? They laugh together and Leo reaches out and takes Niles’s other hand. He plays with his fingers absently while they watch their movie.

 

Maybe Niles didn’t need help after all. In fact, if they had just left well enough alone that date would have probably gone remarkably well. Maybe Weavile doesn’t know Leo that well, but Niles has been spending a lot of time with him. Maybe a date at an outdoor, floral cafe and a stroll through the park at sunset  _ is _ something Leo would like after all?

 

Followed up by a relaxing evening watching a movie. It’s all falling into place. Leo tilts his head comfortably against Niles while they watch the movie… and by the time the movie ends Weavile notices that Leo seems to have fallen asleep. 

 

Niles notices too… and he scoops him up. Is he going to let Leo spend the night? Maybe this is going better than they could have dreamed. Weavile follows behind Niles up the stairs. He takes them two at a time and he watches Niles lay Leo down on his bed over the covers.

 

Weavile meets him at the door. “Hey,” Niles says softly. Weavile tilts his head up to look him in the eye. Maybe they ruined the date, but that doesn’t mean he can’t help Niles finish it right. “Are you gonna move?” 

 

_ No. _

 

Niles dips his head to the side. He folds one arm around his chest, but he uses the other to tap his finger thoughtfully against his lip. “I know you were just trying to help today. That’s great and all, but I’m not sleeping in the same bed as Leo—we both know I’m clingy. I probably shouldn’t let him sleep here at all--it’s not going to do anything to help our cause if someone reports him missing.” 

 

Weavile doesn’t move and Niles snorts at him. “Or are you just angry that he’s in your bed? If that’s all then you’ll survive for one night. Come sleep on the couch with me. I think it used to fold out into a bed once.” 

 

Weavile thinks he should stay here with Leo, though. But… he was wrong before. Maybe Niles does know best, in this case? So he steps aside and follows him back down the stairs to the couch. Niles tosses off the pillows and cushions and sure enough underneath is a very old, very rickety pull-out mattress. It works, but barely. Niles tosses some blankets and the cushions back on it and he lays down to go to sleep.

 

Weavile lays down near the foot of the bed, but only because he’s restless. How is he supposed to sleep when an entire date went awry? It was entirely his fault. He shouldn’t have come up with this plan. He thinks he'll be up all night fretting about it, but instead, he just falls asleep with his mind whirring unhappily. He wakes up in the middle of the night, to the sound of springs creaking and a weight dipping onto the bed. He blinks open his eyes and he sees Leo crawl onto the bed and scoot closer to Niles. Niles barely even seems conscious. “You didn’t have to give me your bed,” Leo whispers.

 

“Mmhmm.” 

 

Leo settles in beside Niles and the two of them fall back to sleep, cuddled up like the previous day was the best date ever. Well, come to think of it, it was nothing if not memorable. Maybe it wasn’t so bad after all? Niles seems  _ happy _ … and if he’s happy, that’s really all Weavile wanted in the first place. Operation Date was a success after all. He smiles to himself and lays back down to sleep. Yeah--of course it was a success. He’s always known what’s best for Niles.

 


End file.
